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Murder of Jiang Ge

SOLVED2016Nakano, Tokyo, Japan3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On 3 November 2016, Jiang Ge, a 24-year-old Chinese graduate student at Hosei University in Tokyo, was stabbed to death outside her apartment in Nakano, Tokyo. The attack occurred shortly after midnight when Jiang and her roommate, Liu Xin, returned to the apartment together after Liu had asked Jiang to meet her at Higashi-Nakano Station because she was afraid of a former boyfriend, Chen Shifeng, who had been harassing her earlier that day. As the two women entered the building, Chen, who had been waiting upstairs, confronted Jiang in the hallway. Liu entered the apartment first and locked the door. Chen then stabbed Jiang in the neck repeatedly; she died from severe blood loss despite attempts to save her. Liu called police twice from inside the apartment.

In the days following the murder, Liu initially told investigators and the public that she did not know who was responsible. On 7 November 2016, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested Chen Shifeng on suspicion of intimidation after discovering he had sent Liu a threatening email on the day of the murder. Further investigation led to a murder arrest warrant, and on 14 December 2016 prosecutors formally charged him with intimidation and murder. Chen's trial began at the Tokyo District Court on 11 December 2017 and concluded on 20 December 2017, with testimony from Jiang's mother, Jiang Qiulian, and from Liu Xin. Chen was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He appealed on 22 December but withdrew the appeal on 29 December, making the sentence final.

The case drew extensive attention in China after Jiang Qiulian revealed on Weibo, two days after the murder, that the killer was Liu Xin's former boyfriend. Public criticism of Liu intensified after Jiang Qiulian published Liu's personal information online in May 2017 to pressure her into meeting, and again after an August 2017 signature campaign—reportedly gathering over two million signatures—seeking the death penalty for Chen. Liu was dismissed from a teaching job in Qingdao amid the backlash. The two women met for the first time since the murder on 23 August 2017 through media-arranged interviews.

Jiang Qiulian subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against Liu Xin, which was accepted by the People's Court of Chengyang District, Qingdao, on 28 October 2019. Following hearings in 2021, the court ruled on 19 January 2022 that Liu bore civil liability for locking the door during the murder, ordering her to pay approximately ¥696,000 in compensation for financial loss and mental anguish. Liu appealed, but the Qingdao Intermediate People's Court rejected her appeal and upheld the ruling on 30 December 2022. Liu's subsequent attempt to crowdfund the compensation amount drew public criticism and violated Chinese charity regulations, and her Weibo account was permanently closed on 4 January 2023. Jiang Qiulian confirmed in June 2023 that the compensation had been paid in full. Liu's application for retrial was rejected by the Shandong Provincial Higher People's Court on 2 February 2024.

Key facts

Victims
Jiang Ge
Date
2016
Location
Nakano, Tokyo, Japan
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2016-11

    Chen Shifeng went to the apartment shared by Liu Xin and Jiang Ge and harassed Liu; Jiang returned to help persuade him to leave.

  2. 2016-11-03

    Shortly after midnight, Chen Shifeng stabbed Jiang Ge multiple times in the neck outside her apartment in Nakano, Tokyo; she died from severe blood loss.

  3. 2016-11-05

    Jiang Qiulian posted on Weibo naming Chen Shifeng as the killer and identifying him as Liu Xin's former boyfriend.

  4. 2016-11-07

    Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested Chen Shifeng on suspicion of intimidation after finding a threatening email he sent to Liu.

  5. 2016-12-14

    Prosecutors formally charged Chen Shifeng with intimidation and murder.

  6. 2017-05-21

    Jiang Qiulian publicly posted Liu Xin's personal information on Weibo to pressure her into meeting.

  7. 2017-08-14

    Jiang Qiulian launched a public petition urging the death penalty for Chen Shifeng.

  8. 2017-08-23

    Liu Xin and Jiang Qiulian met for the first time since the murder, arranged through media interviews.

  9. 2017-12-11

    Trial of Chen Shifeng began at Tokyo District Court.

  10. 2017-12-20

    Chen Shifeng was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder.

  11. 2017-12-22

    Chen Shifeng appealed the verdict.

  12. 2017-12-29

    Chen Shifeng withdrew his appeal, making the original judgment final.

  13. 2018-10-15

    Jiang Qiulian announced on Weibo her intention to file a civil lawsuit against Liu Xin.

  14. 2019-10-28

    The civil lawsuit against Liu Xin was formally filed with the People's Court of Chengyang District, Qingdao.

  15. 2019-12-22

    Weibo banned Liu Xin's account for allegedly consuming donation money and attacking Jiang Ge's family.

  16. 2021-04-15

    The civil case against Liu Xin was heard in court; verdict was deferred.

  17. 2022-01-19

    Court issued a first-instance judgment finding Liu Xin civilly liable, ordering compensation of approximately ¥696,000.

  18. 2022-01-24

    Liu Xin appealed the civil judgment through her attorney.

  19. 2022-02-16

    Appeal hearing held at Qingdao Intermediate People's Court.

  20. 2022-12-30

    Qingdao Intermediate People's Court rejected Liu Xin's appeal and upheld the original judgment.

  21. 2023-01-04

    Liu Xin's Weibo account was permanently closed after she attempted to crowdfund the compensation.

  22. 2023-06-01

    Jiang Qiulian stated the full compensation of ¥696,000 had been paid.

  23. 2024-02-02

    Shandong Provincial Higher People's Court rejected Liu Xin's application for retrial.

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People

  • Chen Shifeng

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Tokyo District Court on 20 December 2017 for stabbing Jiang Ge to death.

  • Jiang Ge

    VICTIM

    24-year-old Chinese graduate student stabbed to death outside her Tokyo apartment on 3 November 2016.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Nakano, Tokyo, Japan

35.7078, 139.6658

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Jiang Ge, a 24-year-old Chinese graduate student in Tokyo, was stabbed to death outside her apartment on 3 November 2016 by Chen Shifeng, the ex-boyfriend of her roommate Liu Xin. Chen was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison; Liu was later found civilly liable in a Chinese court for locking the apartment door during the attack.
Where did the murder happen?
Nakano, Tokyo, Japan.
Who was convicted?
Chen Shifeng (Convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Tokyo District Court on 20 December 2017 for stabbing Jiang Ge to death.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Japan

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Jiang GeWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — news.sina.com.cnnews.sina.com.cn · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — chinanews.com.cnchinanews.com.cn · 2026-07-10

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026